Electric flatiron attachment



A T. SMITH May 17, 1932.

ELECTRIC FLATIRQN ATTACHMENT Filed March 25, 19s;

INVENTOR.

' ATTORNEYS Patented May 17, 19.32

NT OFFICE ALVA T, SMITH,-OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN anae'rzerc 'r A mon ATTACHMENT Application filed March 23, 1931. Serial N0. 524,641.

This invention relates to improvements in electric flat iron attachments.

The ordinary electric flat iron, while adequate for most ordinary purposes, is somewhat ineflicient for ironing or pressing flat work because of the limited surface area of the ironing face of the iron. 4

.It is, therefore, the primary object of 'the present invention to provide an electric flat .iron attachment, which, because of requiring no substantial modification in the construction of the iron, permits use of the iron without the attachment in its normal capacities, but the attachment quickly andreadily adapts the iron for more eflicient use with respect to large fiat work, by materially increasing the effective surface area of the ironing face of the iron.

A further object of the invention is to provide an electric flatiron attachment which may be secured to or released from a fiat iron very easily and quickly by a simple manipulation.

A further object of the invention is to provide an attachment of the class described for flat irons which does not make the iron too heavy and cumbersome for convenient handling and operation by women and so arranged and constructed that heat will flow therethrough from the fiat iron.

A further object of the invention is to provide an electric flat iron attachment of the class described which is of very simple construction, is strong and durable, is inexpensive, and is well adapted for the purposes described.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists of the improved electric flat iron attachment, and its parts and combinations as set forth in the claims, and all equivalents thereof.

In the accompanying drawings in which the same reference characters indicate the same parts in all of the views:

Fig. 1 is a side view of an electric fiat iron with the improved attachment secured thereon, the latter being shown in longitudinal section;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

drawings, it will appear Fig. 3 is a plan view of the improved attachment; and a Fig. 4 is an inverted plan view thereof with a dotted line indication of the position of the flat iron with respect thereto.

Referring now more particularly to the that the numeral 8 indicates an electric fiat iron having an ironing base 9 formed with a. beveled edge or periphery 9'. WVithin the electric iron are the usual electric resistance or heating elements (not shown) which cause the ironing base 9 to become heated for ironing or pressing purposes.

The improved attachment for the electric flat iron comprises a metallic plate 10 preferably formed of an aluminum alloy or other relatively light metal havin a high degree of heat conductivity. While t e contour of the plate 10 closely follows the contour of the ironing base 9 of'the iron, it is'of substantially larger proportions so that the effective ironing surface of the same is substantially greater than the ironing surface of the iron portion 9. The edge portions of the plate 7 member must project such a distance beyond the edges of the iron as to increase the maximum transverse width by at least twenty-five per cent. Otherwise there would be no material decrease in the amount of time necessary to iron a piece of material, and the use of the plate would be valueless for applicants purpose. As shown in Fig. 4 the bottom face of said plate l0 is plane and is the effective surface and its proportions with respect to the iron portion 9 are illustrated.

The upper portion ofthe auxiliary plate 10 is formed with a substantially V-shaped recess 11, the outline of the recess being similar and of substantially the same size as the contour of the iron base 9. As shown particularly in Fig. 3 said recess extends from the rear edge of the plate" 10 forwardly, terminating short of the front'end of the plate and medially positioned with respect to the side edges of said plate. The edge of said plate surrounding the recess 11 is beveled inwardly or dove-tailed, as indicated by the numeral 12 to cooperate with the beveled edge 9' of the iron as will be more fully explained.

The medial portion of the plate 10 is also formed with an inner recess 13.

The electric flat iron 8 is, of course, susceptible of use in its normal manner, without the attachment or auxiliary plate 10. However, if the user desires to iron and press large fiat work, the auxiliary plate may be quickly and easily attached. The securement is accomplished by sliding the nose or tapered end of the iron into the recess 11 through the open rear end thereof. The lower surface of the iron is positioned on the flange 14 of the plate around the inner recess 13, and sliding the iron forwardly the beveled edge 9' of the iron enters the dove-tail. The iron is then pushed forwardly to the position shown in Fi 1 and it is held in this position of attac ment with respect to the plate 10 by a thumb screw 15 extended through a boss 16 in the plate, which thumb screw is turned to impinge against the iron. Obviously, the plate may be from the iron by releasing t e thumb screw and sliding the iron rearwardly out of engagement with the dove-tail and plate.

While there has been illustrated and de-.

scribed one specific embodiment of the invention with particular reference to the mode of effecting a quick releasable connection-between the flat iron and auxiliary plate, it should be understood that other means for connecting the flat iron to the plate ma be used within the scope of the claims, wit out departing from the spirit of the invention.

With the plate attached to-the flat iron, as previously described, the efiiciency of the iron is greatly increased, especially for flat work, inasmuc as the auxiliary plate materially increases the eflective surface of the iron. The auxiliary plate, tion and material, is not cumbersome nor too heavy, and in this connection it should be noted that the inner recess 13 in the plate decreases the weight of the same, and is also effective in insuring correct heat flow through all portions of the plate. In attached position, the iron rests on the flange l4 surrounding the recess 13, and heat will flow from the iron outwardly toward the peripheral portions of the plate, insuring the heating of the entire plate, instead of centralizing in a zone around the mid-portion of the plate. From the foregoing description uickly removed because ofits construcmember having an even and unobstructed face, and means for detachably connecting said plate member to the work face of a flat iron, the size of the plate member being such that edge portions thereof will project beyond corresponding edges of the work face of the flat iron to which it is attached a distance which will increase the maximum transverse width by at least twenty-five percent to materially decrease the amount of time necessary in ironing a piece of material.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature.

ALVA T. S 1TH.

it will also be seen that the improved electric flat iron attachment is both simple and novel, and is well adapted for the purposes set forth.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A metal ironin plate for connection with a self-heated at iron comprising a plate member having an even and unobstructed work face, necting said plate member to the work face of a flat iron, the size of-the plate member being such that edges thereof will project beyon and means for detachably con- 

